Wheel-plow.



I. Patented i Dec. 9,'1932.v

I. A. WEAVER.

WHEEL PLOW.

(Application mea Aug. s, moz.)

2 Sheets-Shut l.

(No Model.)

N0. 75,733. Pfenied DBO..9, i902.

l. A. WEAVER. WHEEL PLUW (App'uminn-med Aug. e, 1902.)

2 Sheds-Sheet 2.'

(No Mudel.)

wif/66565.

T72 Ue 711-07. Ina Z'Uayer: zy

4 disk plows; but its utility extends tovsome ,clined with its tread presented toward the soil in an oblique direction, and the stress is i v l ward the land.

restrain the rear caster-wheel against leading removed while the plow is turning around. While turning in one direction, the rear cas- .rrearward extension of a post pivoted verti- UNTTED lSTATES,

PATENT Tirion.

IRA A. WEAVER, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO S-ATTLEY MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PLOW.

:SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent N o. 715,733, dated December 9, 1902.

` Application tiled August 8, 1902.

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA A. WEAVER, of the city of Springeld, county of Sangamon, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheel-Flows, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is 'particu'.ly app.cable to extent to wheel-plows of the ordinary share and moldboard type.

Proper operation of wheel-plows depends largely on the lead of the caster-wheels, and various devices have been used to set the rear caster-wheel at the proper angle or lead to resist landward thrust of the soil and to hold the wheel in position as the plow travels across the field in practical operation. The rear caster-wheel of a modern wheel-plow is journaled on a laterally-extended spindle of a cally in the plow-frame, and the wheel is inland. The plows take the resistance of the exerted landward and backward on the soilturning surfaces of the plows. The eect of the stress is to carry the plows landward, and it is the function of the caster-wheels, particularly the .rear one, to neutralize the sidewise pressure of the soil. When. left to itself, the caster-wheel journaled inthe rear end of the plow-frame will swing freely on its vertical pivot and permit the plows to run to land, and controlling appliances are made with a View to restraining the lead of the wheel to- No provision is needed to from the land, as that tendency is never developed in plowing and is harmless at other times; but whatever restraint is provided against landward lead of the wheel should be terwheel may swing backward. away from the controlling restraint; but in turning in the other direction the controlling restraint swing of therear caster-wheel preparatory to Serial No. 118,9 55. (No model.)

restraint automatically has been generally recognized and approved. The post of the front caster-Wheel partakes of the swing of the tongue in turning around fand remains very nearly stationary in its bearings while the team is traveling straight forward, and as those are approximately the conditions .demanded of the rear caster-wheel the advantages of a controlling connection between the two caster-wheel posts is obvious.

In developing a connection between the two `caster-wheel posts many experiments have been tried and many difficulties have been overcome, until it is now generally conceded that the proper controlling connection is one in which the thrust of the rear caster-wheel, developed by soil-pressure, is directed against the post of the front caster-wheel. This arrangement prevents the thrust of the rear caster-wheel from developing side swing in` the tongue". It also almost entirely prevents the transmission to the rear caster-wheel of sway of the team developed in walking along, and it represents the advanced type of castercontrollers. It happens, however, that there is more or less spring in plow-frames and more or less looseness in'bearings. There is also considerable variation in the conditions of soils, and all these combine to interfere with accurate control of the rear caster-wheel from the front caster-wheel post. These disadvantages are more pronounced in disk plows than in other wheel-plows, owing probably to the difference in the construction of the frames land the general arrangement of the parts;

but they exist to some extent in all wheelplows having caster-wheels, and their removal constitutes the principal object of this invention.

To attain my object in regard to properly controlling the rear caster-Wheel, I extend a tie-brace from one caster-wheel post to the other and take the stress of the caster-controller olf the plow-frame.` The brace is made v longitudinally adjustable or extensible and IOO contractible preferably by means of a turnbuckle. 'It is placed as close to the castercon'troller connections as is convenient, and its connections with the posts are, lto get best results, entirely independent of the ploW- frame. When the brace is properly adj usted of the caster-controller is independent of loose bearings and of spring in the frame. rlhe effect of the brace is to make the caster-con-V trolling mechanism, of which the brace forms a part,'a self-contained structure free from outside inuences and independent of varied conditions of soils. The brace also provides means for increasing the accuracy of adjustment of the caster-controller to give the rear wheel proper lead. As there is always some looseness in the post-bearings, movement of the posts toward and from each other affects the relation of the caster-wheels to the con,- trolling-rod, and the turnouckle of the tie-l brace permits nice adjustment of the posts. The tie-brace is by itself quite eective in wheel-plows of the share and moldboard type and reasonably so in wheeled disk plows; but I find that the result can be improved inv disk plows by providing a special draft hitch, through which the lead of the front casterwheel is `governed. The-draft hitch comprises a draft-bar or stub tongue, which is free to move backward at its connection with the plow-frame and which has a pair of hitchbearings, one on each side of the line of draft. An arm on the post ofthe front caster-wheel is connected with the draft-bar in front of the draft-hitch, and so long as the team is pull-I ing on the plow the draft-bar and the front post are held against side swing by the stiffness generated from the two separated drafthitches. The rigidity imparted to the front post by the pull of the team is transmitted to the controlling-rod, and the rear casterwheel is steadied thereby. When an end ofI the field is reached and 'the teamas turned sidewise, the draft-bar swings sidewise and slightly rearward, with one of its draft-hitches for a pivot, and imparts its sidewise swing to the front caster-wheel post, with the result that the controlling device for the rear casterwheel is rendered inoperative and the rear caster-wheel is left free to swing around with '.l-theplowframe.

' Another object of my invention is toprovide means forV transmitting side swing from the draft-bar to the post of the'front caster- :wheel in the-same horizontal plane regardless of the vertical shift of the post in its bearings in the frame, and still another object is to provide improved means for shifting the rear caster-wheel vertically with relation to the frame.

-In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a plan of so much of a disk plow asis needed to explain my improvements. Fig. y2 is a side 'elevation of the struc- Iture included in Fig. 1 with the addition of .a lift-lever for the front caster-wheel. Fig.

3 vis a detail in front elevation of the bearing-j bracket for the post of the front caster-wheel. Fig. 4 is a plan of the arm on the post of the front caster-wheel which takes motion from the tongue or draft-bar and imparts it to the` Fig. 5 is a detail of a stepped collar height of the rear post. which is used to vary the end of the frame.

The plow-frame may be constructed in various ways; but in thisinstance it is composed of a front cross-bar 1 and bars 2, connected rigidly together and to the front bar and shaped to properlycarry the plow-disks 3. Thepost 5 is pivoted in the rear end of the plow-frame. It has a rearward extension 4, and a spindle turns sidewise from the rearward extension to form a bearing for casterwheel 6. The post 8 for the front casterwheel 9 is journaled in a bracket 26 on crossbar 1. An arm 10 is rigidly attached to the upper end of post 8, and it extends rearward vwhen the plow is in operative position. An arm 7 is rigidly attached tothe upper end of post 5, and it extends outward with relation to the land when the plow is in operation. A sleeve 11 is pivoted in the swinging end of arm 7. A controlling-rod 14 is pivotally connected with the swinging end of arm 10. It extends through sleeve 1l, and it has a setcollar 15, which bears normally against sleeve 11. A brace-rod A12 connects post 8 with post 5. It is preferably placed just below arms 10 and 7 in direct pivotal connection with the posts, and it is made in two parts or otherwise formed to permit lengthwise adjustment. As a matter of preference the two parts of the brace are connected by means of a turnbuckle, as 13, as this'constructon provides a strong brace capable of precise length- Wise adj ustment.

The draft-bar 16 is slotted lengthwise at its rear end, as shown at 18, to fit loosely over a bolt 17, projecting upward-from va plate on ICO IIO

the cross-bar l of the frame, and it has hitchbearings 19 and 20, adapted to engage the front cross-bar, one on each side of the line of draft.

In this instance the hitch-bearingsare secured rigidly tothe draft-bar and project downward behind the cross-bar of the frame; but their construction is immaterial so long as they form an elongated or twopart bearing, which tends to hold the draftbar sti with relation to the plow-frame, so

far as side motion is concerned, while the- 6o 7 y tical posts, the combination, with the posts lii'l'tolreadily the key-27, and the key is and down the postl and the wheel thereon are raised and lowered with relation to the bracket 26 and other parts of the frame, and during such operation the post-controlling arm 21 slides lengthwise of the post while maintaining its `rotatory connection therewith and keeping up its horizontal relation to the draftbar. The spline and feather or key and groove are typical of mechanical means for maintaining a connection between the post and the -arm while permitting the arm to rise and fall with the draft-bar, and it is obvious that other mechanical means may be used to get the same result. l

A stepped collar 28 fits en the rearward extension of the rear post .5 beneath the frame, and it provides means for raising or lowering the rear end of the plow-frame with reference to the post. The collar is shown in detail in Fig. 5, and it has a plurality of -`convex bearing-surfaces a., b, and c at different distances from itsupper end, each adapted to rest on the rearward extension of the post. A set collar on the post above the frame provides means for holding 'the frame seated on the collar; but by loosening the set collar and raising the frame the stepped collar may be turned to bring either of its bearing-surfaces lover the extension of the post, and the frame mayv thus be raised or lowered within certain degrees.

By causing arm 21 to rise and fall with the draft-bar 16 the rod 22 is able to hold the arm always at the same distance from the draftbar and give always the same lead to the lfront caster-wheel while plowing.

I claiml. In a plow having caster-wheels on vertical posts, the combination, with the posts of the caster-wheels, of a restraining appliance yfor the rear caster-wheel controlled from the front post, and a brace connecting one post with the other.

2. In a plow havi-ng caster-Wheels'on vertical posts, the combination, with the posts.. ,of the caster-wheels, of a restraining, appliance for the rear caster-wheel controlled from the front post, and a longitndinally-adjust-y able brace connecting one post with the other.

3. In a plow having caster-wheels' on verof the caster-wheels, of a restraining appliance for the rear caster-wheel controlled from the front post, and a two-part brace-rod conjoined by a turnbuckle and connected pivv otally with the posts.

4.. In a plow having caster-wheels on ver tical posts, the combination, with the posts of the caster-wheels, of an arm on the rear post normally extending sidewise, an arm on the front post normally extending rearward, a strut-brace connecting the swinging ends of the arms, and a tie-brace connecting one post with the other.

5.I In a wheel-plow, the combination of a frame structure, a plow, secured to the frame, caster-wheels on p osts journaled in the frame and extended above the same, an arm on the upward extension of the rear post normally extending sidewise, an arm on the upward extension of the front post normally. extending rearward, a strut-brace connecting the swinging ends of the arms, and a tie-brace connecting the upward extension of one post with the upward extension of the other post.

6. In a wheel-plow the combination of a plow-frame, a draft-bar conjoined to the frame and having a limited amount of back and forward motion at its conjunction with the-frame, means for holding the draft-bar against side motion, a pair of draft-bearings on the rear end of the draft-bar, one on each side of the line of draft, and a team-hitch at the front end of the draft-bar, substantially as described.

7. In a wheel-plow, the combination. of a plow-frame, a draft-bar free to move backward at its conjunction with the frame and having a pair of draft-bearings one on each side of the line of draft, means for holding the draft-bar against side motion, a casterwheel on a vertical post pivoted in the plowframe, and @,fnntmllina-nliukmhetnese draft-bar and the post of the caster-wheel, substantially as described.

8.- In a wheel-plow, the combination of a plow-frame, a draft-bar free to move backward at its conjunction with the frame and having a pairof draft-bearings one on each side of the line of draft, means for holding the draft-bar against side motion, a front caster-wheel and a rear caster-wheel each journaled on a vertical post pivoted in the frame, alcontrolling connection between the posts of the caster-wheels and a connection between thedraft-bar and the post of the front caster-wheel.

-9. In a wheel-plow, the combination of ,a plow-frame, a draft-bar free to move backward at itsconjunction with the frame and having a pair of draft-bearings one on each side of the line of draft, means for holding the draft-bar against side motion, a front caster-Wheel and avrear caster-wheel each journaled on a vertical post pivoted in the frame, a controlling connection between the posts of the caster-wheels,a link between the IOO IIO

Izo`

draft-bar and the post of the front casterframe, a hitch-bar pivotally connected with y the front of the frame, a caster-wheel post vpivoted in vertical bearings in the frame and slidable lengthwise of the bearings, means for shifting the post lengthwise in its bearings, an armslidable on the post and held againstrotation independent thereof, and a link connecting the arm with the hitch-bar.

ll. -In a wheel-plow, thevcornbination of a frame, a hitch-bar pivotally connected with the front of the frame, a bracket attached to the frame, such bracket being vertically tubular and out away between its ends, a casterwheelpost extending through the tubular part ofr the bracket, such post being grooved lengthwise, an arm on the post in the cutaway part of the bracket, a key in thearxn engaging the groove of the post, means for moving the post lengthwise of its bearings, and a link pivotally connecting the arm with the hitch-bar.

12. In a wheel-plow, the combination of a frame, a caster-wheel post journaled in the frame and'extended horizontally below the frame, and a stepped collar between the frame and the horizontal extension of the post, for varying the height of the frame.

Iny testimony whereof I sign my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IRA A. WEAVER.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. MATHENY, WARREN E. LEWIS. 

